South Carolina’s golf courses receive their share of Hurricane Helene’s wrath

The fierce storm named Helene left a life-changing imprint on all in its path from the Gulf to the mountains, and golf courses experienced a generous share of its wrath.

“It’s worse than anything I’ve ever seen or heard,” Tim Kreger, executive director of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association, said in assessing both the overall damage and golf course destruction.

The golf-course devastation included toppled trees, mountains of debris, overflowing waterways, wrecked bridges and sod damage. Kreger noted a report of courses that “have entire 9s washed out.” Too, there are places that workers have not been able to reach to check out the situation.

“We just had trees down. We got lucky,” said Jeff Connell, general manager and superintendent at Fort Jackson Golf Club. Citing reports on the superintendents’ grapevine, he added, “West of (Interstate) 77 is a disaster.”

The course at Mid-Carolina Club near Prosperity fits that description with more than 100 trees down and fallen power lines complicating the recovery efforts.

“We’ve got about 50 trees down and we’re probably going to lose 12 more,” Forest Lake Club professional John Winterhalter said. “We’ve got to get a tree company to help clear everything out, but (the lost trees) will not impact how the course plays too much.”

Trees toppled like bowling pins in the Aiken area. John Boyette, executive editor of the Aiken Standard, said Palmetto Golf Club, which dates to 1892, lost more than 100 trees and nearby Aiken Golf Club saw more than 60 pines — some more than 100 years old — felled by the storm. The new Tree Farm course lost more than 400 trees.

That devastation suggests “the news is not good” regarding Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters. A club statement said officials are assessing the situation and drone pictures show extensive damage.

Musgrove Mill Golf Club near Clinton is another highly regarded course that took a severe hit. The adjacent Enoree River overflowed and at least one green will need to be rebuilt.

“I haven’t counted” the downed trees, Musgrove Mill director of golf Jeff Tallman said. “This isn’t our first rodeo; we’ve had storm damage before with the river. But this is the second worst. In 1995 before I got here, another storm came and just sat on top of us.”

Musgrove had eight greens under water after Helene’s visit and, Tallman said, “We’ve lost the 14th green. We’ll have to rebuilt it.”

With no electricity, syringing the greens to remove debris had to wait until the club could bring in a generator to provide power.

Floods create a love-hate relationship at Musgrove. The overflowing river means challenges like this one, but, Tallman said, “the river bottom soil is awesome. It’s the most fertile in South Carolina and the area has been flooded for years, so it’s great for our grasses.”

Timing to re-open the impacted courses remains guesswork. Those hardest hit could be shuttered for extended periods.

Tallman has a plan. Musgrove Mill has faced this situation so often that the club has a “flood nine” for players. Winterhalter looks to re-open Forest Lake in time for the upcoming member-guest tournament.

And then there are the clubs that escaped with minimal or no damage:

▪ The Grand Stand, the usual target for hurricanes that come up the Atlantic coast, experienced no problems.

▪ Amid all the tree challenges in the Aiken area, Old Barnwell experienced very little impact from the storm.

▪ Superintendent Chuck Green reported that Quixote Club in Sumter “had a couple of trees down and a lot of debris, but we’re all good.”

▪ And at the Spur at Northwoods in Northeast Columbia, “Just debris and one tree down,” pro Greg McBride said. A day after the storm, “we sold out that Saturday.”

Chip shots. USC’s women’s team, fourth ranked nationally, forged another strong performance with a second-place finished in the Windy City Collegiate in Wilmette, Illinois. Senior Hannah Darling and sophomore Maylis Lamoure posted top-five individual finishes for the Gamecocks, who have a win and two seconds in their three fall tournaments. ... The NCAA named TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet and Old Barnwell as sites for 2027 regional tournaments. The TPC Myrtle Beach will stage the men’s event, hosted by Coastal Carolina and the Myrtle Beach Regional Sports Alliance, and Old Barnwell will hold the women’s competition, hosted by USC. ... Chandler Mulkey (Johns Island) captured the SCGA’s Public Links Championship for the second straight year, edging Levi Joiner (Prosperity) in a playoff at the Charleston Municipal GC. ... Nicholas Canitano (Milton, Georgia) won the SCJGA’s Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational in a five-player playoff at the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek on John’s Island. Charles Cauthen (Columbia) tied for second.

This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 11:35 AM with the headline "South Carolina’s golf courses receive their share of Hurricane Helene’s wrath."